Save when England won the World T20 finals in the West Indies four years ago, the country that pioneered this format has never excelled at it, primarily through a lack of quality spin. When they triumphed in 2010, it was the one time England had a decent pair of spinners: Swann and Michael Yardy, if we count his left-arm darts as spin. Since Swann played his last Twenty20 international, England have lost seven and won four.

This inherent deficiency – of being unable to contain and take wickets in the middle overs with spin – may not be exposed too mercilessly today in England’s first Twenty20 international against West Indies, as Kensington Oval is expected to be a typical Barbadian belter. It will later this month, however, on the turning end-of-season pitches in Bangladesh, when England will be hard pressed to win one of their qualifying matches against New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

England’s deficiency extends to batting against spin as well as bowling it. In their 12 Twenty20 internationals in Asia against the seven main countries, they have scored at 8.3 runs per over against pace and 6.2 against spin.

England’s opponents have learned to stock their sides with spinners, using them often for 12 overs, or even 15, starting in the powerplay.

This is an alien world. England have seldom bowled eight overs of spin except when Swann and Yardy were performing, and only once have they bowled more, when Pietersen chipped in with a couple to make ten.

It follows that if England are to go anywhere in Bangladesh, other than the first flight back from Chittagong, they will need three spinners.

James Tredwell heads the list as the nearest England have to a banker, except that like some others he is not quite so reliable as he seems. Because he does not maximise his front arm as a lever to obtain bounce, his off-breaks are very controlled, and turn, but do not take wickets.

Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Stephen Parry began well in his two one-day internationals in Antigua last week, with some of Swann’s over-spin and bounce that drives a batsman back, until Denesh Ramdin went after him and Parry’s last two overs cost 36.

Parry probably has to play in Bangladesh, because he is left-handed: the absence of any type of left-arm bowler has been another of England’s deficiencies since the departure of Yardy and Ryan Sidebottom, two of their 2010 cup winners.

England’s third spinner would have been Joe Root if he had not broken his right thumb on Wednesday during his match-winning century.

However, luckily for England, they have in Moeen an all-rounder who could do a job as a left-handed batsman – he scored 55, 10 and 44 in the one-dayers last week – and off-spinner.

England are lucky because there was no cricket ground in the area of Birmingham where Moeen grew up. Driven simply by their love of the game, he and his extended family played in a Sparkhill park on a bit of concrete – often 11-a-side, all day long, street against street.

Moeen’s grandfather came from Kashmir and married an Englishwoman who, at 92, still watches Moeen whenever she can. They gave birth to twin boys, Munir and Shabir, who both played in the Birmingham Parks League and became coaches. Shabir’s son, Kabir Ali, took almost 500 first-class wickets, including five in his one Test for England in 2003.

The eldest of Munir’s three sons is Kadeer Ali, who scored 5,000 first-class runs. Moeen is the middle son, who stood out when, aged 13, he scored 194 in a 20-over game for Moseley Ashfield, and had a net against cousin Kabir, then a pacy 17 year-old.

Kadeer, who was watching, remembers: “Moeen handled him really well. You could see he had something about him from the way he hit over midwicket and pulled. He was really aggressive then but has calmed down since.”

When Moeen joined Worcestershire at 15, his heroes were Graeme Hick, naturally, and those classy left-handers Saeed Anwar and Kumar Sangakkara, of whom there are echoes in his off-driving.

By the time Moeen captained England Under-19s, he was a tidy off-spinner – and something more when Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal played at Worcester in 2009 and taught him the doosra. Kadeer confirmed: “Moeen bowls it in the indoor league our dad runs during the winter.”

The one ‘Test’ which England A won in Sri Lanka last month came when Moeen took four wickets and scored quick runs, before hr left the team to head for the West Indies.

Monty Panesar can only expect to play for England on a turner. On most Test grounds, as they rebuild this summer, they could get by with an all-rounder who can do a job.